Head restraints are used in order to provide improved head and neck support to a user while seated in a seat, e.g., in case the user falls asleep or in case of an individual with physical disorders. A head restraint can be used for preventing the user's head from falling forward or tilting to the left or the right side. This provides comfortable and stable support of the user's head while sitting on the seat.
For example, during sleep, the muscles in the neck and back of the human body that normally support the head are relaxed. The result in that when human beings (such as, babies) are asleep in a car seat, their head will fall forward or “roll” to the left or right, placing strain on the user's neck and spine and causing discomfort that diminishes the quality of sleep that the child enjoys. While driving in and around city streets, the forces associated with vehicle acceleration, braking, and sharp turns, respectively, further magnify the harmful effects on the neck and spine caused by the child's head not being supported.
There are many head restraints for adults and children are known in the art. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,740,318 that discloses a padded strap that is attached to both sides of a child car seat using two sets of hook and loop type fasteners, and alternatively, through use of two rotating discs. Additional example is disclosed in US 2013/0300176 that discloses a head restraint system including a support arm formed of a flexible material which is displaceable between a first position extending horizontally across a portion of a child's forehead and a second position disposed away from the child's forehead.